Hochul appeals Trump denial of blizzard disaster aid for New York State
Gov. Kathy Hochul said the February blizzard wasn’t a routine snowstorm and was complicated by extremely high winds — especially on Long Island. Credit: Newsday/James Carbone
Gov. Kathy Hochul sent a letter Thursday to President Donald Trump appealing his decision to deny federal disaster aid to New York for the February blizzard, calling it "arbitrary" and unprecedented.
Politico reported earlier this month that Trump overruled a determination by his own Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had said New York and three other Northeastern states — all led by Democrats — should receive financial aid for costs associated with the record-breaking storm.
This was the first time Trump denied a New York request for a "major disaster declaration," a Hochul administration official who requested anonymity said Thursday.
It is unusual for a president to deny a disaster-aid request once a federal agency has determined a state has met the requirements regarding the cost of damages.
Hochul, a Democrat, stressed the point in her letter to Trump. "FEMA completed its assessment having validated $79.03 million in damages — more than double the statewide damage threshold," of $39 million, the governor said.
Consistent with FEMA practice, the agency halted its validation once the threshold was met, Hochul noted, but "state and local governments identified more than $168 million in damages caused by the storm."
The governor also said the February blizzard wasn’t a routine snowstorm and was complicated by extremely high winds — especially on Long Island.
"The Long Island Power Authority, with services in three affected counties, reported over $20 million in FEMA validated damages due to wind-blown trees falling on power lines. Another $3 million was submitted to [FEMA] for other emergency measures such as warming centers for residents who lost power," Hochul wrote in the letter.
The state declared emergencies in 22 counties, some 40,000 households lost power and five people died, the governor said.
Politico reported that all presidents since President George W. Bush have approved every snow-related disaster-aid request, except for one — up until Trump’s second term in office. The Associated Press has reported Trump has approved 80% of disaster-aid requests from Republican-led states and 60% from Democrat-led states.
When the administration denied New York’s request, a FEMA spokesperson said partisan politics weren't involved, and that "FEMA worked closely with the State of New York to collect and analyze damage information."
Further, the office of Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) told Newsday that New York’s funding request failed to meet federal requirements.
What local police departments do to combat the problem Suffolk created a street takeover task force in 2024 that has broken up more than 100 incidents in the county.
What local police departments do to combat the problem Suffolk created a street takeover task force in 2024 that has broken up more than 100 incidents in the county.
